Brush



Patented Jan. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in brushes and, particularly, tobrushes adapted to stimulate the growth of hair, eyebrows and eyelashes.The brush is designed to develop a healthy condition in the hairfollicles and the scalp on which it is used. by utilizing certainheretofore unappreciated physiological facts.

rEhe invention will be readily understood from the following descriptionin conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is aplan View of a brush embodying the invention; Fig. 2, an enlargedfragmentary sectional View taken along line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, anenlarged sectional View of a bristle embodying a modified form of theinvention; Fig. 4, an enlarged sectional View of a bristle embodying afurther modification; Fig. 5, an enlarged broken sectional View of thebristle shown in Fig. 2 in contact with a scalp; and Fig. 6, an enlargedbroken sectional view of the bristle shown in Fig. 3 in contact with ascalp.

Referring to the drawing, IIJ designates a hair brush of conventionaldesign, including a handle I I and a back l2. In the preferredembodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5, stiff bristlesI3, comprising a stem or center portion I4 of steel, a phenoliccondensation product or the like, and a rubber coating I5 are mountedpreferably in staggered arrangement and relatively close together in abase I6 of flexible material, such as rubber, suitably secured to theback I2. The bristles may be secured to the base in any well-knownmanner. In Fig. 2 they are shown equipped with heads I3a adapted tosecure them in the base, it being understood that the stem of thebristles is inserted in the base before the base is secured to the back.The tips I3b of the bristles are carefully rounded and polished andprotrude from the sheath or covering I5. The sheath is preferably moldedof soft rubber, felt or a composition and encases the stem of thebristles in such manner that preferably only g1g or if of an inch of thetip of the stem is exposed.

'Ihe base I6 and the sheath I5 preferably comprise a unitary structure.In practice, thestems of the'bristles are inserted in a die providedwith elongated cylindrical forms terminating in a hole to receive thetip of the stem and to self-center the stem. Suitable vulcanizablerubber is inserted in the forms and in a thin layer along the top of thedie in such manner that only the heads of the stems protrude. Theassembly is then introduced into a mold and vulcanized, thus producing amolded unitary sheath enclosing the stem and a base of soft, flexiblerubber.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6, the bristles Il have acenter portion Ila of thin flexible steel wire terminating in a knobI'Ib at 5 their tips and a rubber covering I9. The bristles in thisembodiment are mounted in a stiff base I3 of hard rubber or compositionmaterial. As shown in Fig. 3, the bristles are mounted in the basebefore it is secured to the back and the bris- 10 tles are retainedtherein by their bent end-portions I'IC. All of the center portion IIaof the bristles, except the knob IIb, are enclosed in the soft rubbersheath I9, the knob or bulb alone protruding therefrom. The sheath orcovering 15 I9 is preferably molded on the bristles separately andsuitably secured to the base by cement or glue, since the base ispreferably molded from hard rubber or a composition and the sheath I9,from soft rubber.

A further modification is shown in Fig. 4. This embodiment is similar tothat shown in Fig. 2 and comprises stiff bristles 2i] having a centerportion 268 equipped with smooth rounded tips 2th and a rubber sheath2l. The bristles are 25 preferably mounted in staggered arrangement in aflexible base 22. In this embodiment, the sheath encloses the entirecenter portion 2lia of the bristle and extends slightly beyond the tip-Zlib.

As previously set out, the brush is adapted to 30 develop and maintainhealthy scalp condition, not only on the surface but in the hairfollicles. 'Iliis desirable result is partially achieved by gentlypulling the hair. The brush in its various forms has been designedtolightly pull the hair 35 and it has been found that in practice iteffectively ,achieves that result. In heads having a normal growth ofhair, the staggered arrangement of the bristles, their close proximityand the natural friction of hair and rubbertend to slightly tug thehair. The brush is most effective on scalps having a subnormal amount ofhair. When the brush is drawn across the scalp, the bristles, in thepreferred embodiment shown 45 in Fig. 2, assume approximately the angleshown in Fig. 5. The corners of the rubber sheath momentarily pinch thefine hairs against the scalp and tug them gently as the brush is moved.The slight pull of the hair tends to reduce the pressure within the hairfollicle, causing blood and lymph to flow in and consequent stimulationof hair growth. The gentle tugging of the hair also produces a nervousstimulation, with a beneficial result. In the same stroke of the brush,the

tip of the bristle loosens and removes dandruff scales, desquamatedepithelium and inspissated sebum from ailiicted scalps. Vigorousbrushing causes a slight movement of the entire scalp and effectivemassaging of the oil glands.

The action of the brush shown in Fig. 3 is substantially the same,except that the bristle itself bends, bringing both the sheath and theknob into contact with the scalp (Fig. 6) and with the same highlydesirable results.

It is to be understood that the use of 'a brush of this type is notlimited to brushing hair; a smaller brush embodying my improved bristleand base may be employed in stimulating the growth of eyebrows andeyelashes.

The foregoing detailed descriptionhas been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly aspermissible, in View of the prior art.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a brush adapted to stimulate thegrowth of hair by securing maximum pull on the hair in brushing havingbristles comprising metallic stems and a rubber sheath, said sheathincluding a covering for said stems and a base providing a mounting forsaid stems.

2. A construction as called for in claim 1, in which the external tipsof the stems protrude from the sheath.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a brush adapted to stimulate thegrowth of hair comprising a back, bristles having metallic stems and arubber sheath in the form of a unitary structure comprising a coveringfor said stems and a base providing a mounting for said stems, said basebeing secured to the back.

4. A brush adapted to stimulate growth oi hair, comprising a resilientbase, stiff bristles mounted in said base in staggered arrangement and asheath of soft rubber enclosing all but the tips of said bristles, saidsheath being adapted to pull hair in the brushing operation.

5. In a hair brush adapted to obtain the maximum pull on the hair inbrushing, a base of flexible material, bristles mounted in said base,said bristles comprising stil center portions, and a rubber coveringenclosing all but the tips of said center portions.

6. In a hair brush, a rigid base, bristles mounted in said base, saidbristles comprising a flexible center portion having a knob at its endand a rubber covering enclosing all but the knob of said centerportions, said bristles being adapted to bend when brought into contactwith a scalp bringing said knobs and the ends of the rubber coveringinto contact with the scalp.

7. In a hair brush, bristles comprising a stiff metallic stem having arounded tip and a soft rubber sheath enclosing all but the tip of saidstem, and a base, said bristles being flexibly mounted in said basewhereby the tip and the end of the sheath may be brought into contactwith a surface to be brushed.

8. A hair brush adapted to stimulate the .j

growth of hair by securing the maximum pull on hair in brushing,comprising a base and bristles mounted in said base, said bristlescomprising a stiff longitudinal center portion and a covering ofmaterial having a coeicient of fric- 5;

tion for hair substantially equivalent to that of soft rubber.

WALFORD A. SCHWAB.

